


Love Love Love

by CarnivalofBrokenDolls (yourrhinestoneeyes)



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, M/M, Violence, enraged Ed, spoilers for the new episode, theory fan fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 23:27:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8509735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourrhinestoneeyes/pseuds/CarnivalofBrokenDolls
Summary: Love makes you do stupid things, sometimes those stupid things end with a body count.





	1. A Shoulder to Cry On

**Author's Note:**

> In this theory Isabella is actually dead even if the body hasn't been found.

When word of Isabella’s disappearance reached Edward, he was as Oswald had predicted, heartbroken. The man was an utter wreck; when he called her, and wrote her and sent her text messages only to get absolutely nothing in return it had sent him into a panic. A panic that lead him to Oswald, he went to his friend seeking comfort and advice. The older man did his best to platonically comfort him, to give dumb little guesses as to why she would just ignore him in this way.

The days without her were pleasant. Edward barely slept, he cried, and he came to Oswald for constant comfort. Yes, it absolutely hurt Oswald to see his dearest friend cry, but he felt grateful that he was the one who got to hold him on those late nights. He was grateful that Edward was telling him once more just how much he meant to him, how if something were to happen to him that he wasn’t sure what he would do.

Unfortunately, the days of grieving passed and when they passed Edward was determined to find her, to find out what had happened to her. Oswald did his best to gently keep this from happening, he tried in vain to deter his friend. Knowing just how intelligent Ed was he knew it would possibly take him no time to find out that Oswald had done something to her and when he found out he would be furious.

The days and weeks that Ed spent out looking for clues that could lead him to what happened to Isabella were days that Oswald spent distancing himself from the younger man. He came up with constant reasons and excuses as to why he couldn’t help him interrogate, he offered Ed the help of hired goons though just in case he needed them.

Sadly, for Oswald it took no time at all for Ed to piece it all together like the morbid little puzzle it was.


	2. I Know

“Oswald!”

A voice that not too long ago used to comfort him and fill him with adoration now made him jump and filled him with fear.

“Where are you, I know you’re home damn it.” Ed yelled from the main hall of the giant home.

Oswald as far as he was concerned was safe. Gabe had called him just twenty minutes ago to warn him that Ed had found out, that he knew Oswald had paid him to cut her brake lines causing her to wreck. The body still had not been found, but that didn’t seem to matter much to Ed right now.

“Come here now, Oswald!”

He felt himself shaking with fear, he had never feared Ed before. He couldn’t remember the last time he had feared another person. In his mind a war was waging about whether he should go and face his longtime friend, face the man he loved and that he had killed for or if he should continue hiding from him. He wanted Ed to understand that this was the way it was supposed to be, if he allowed Oswald to explain himself then this could be alright.

This was why against better judgment he left his hiding place and made his way downstairs. He regretted this decision the second he reached the landing.

Ed stood there with his hands clenched into blood stained fists at his sides, his white dress shirt was stained with blood. Oswald knew it was highly likely he’d already killed one or two people that day while looking for all loose ends and clues he could have missed. Now there he was standing before the small arrogant man who dared to kill his second chance at love. 

In no time at all he advanced on the smaller man, he grabbed him by the front of his pricey dress shirt and threw him up against a wall. Oswald let out a cry of surprise and pain when his back and head collided with the wall, he felt a throbbing in his skull. He stared up at the taller man through blue eyes filled with fear.

“Why?”

A simple question, a question he could answer, but Ed didn’t want to hear that.

Ed didn’t even give him time to open his mouth for an answer, he threw Oswald to the floor and swiftly kicked him in the stomach when the older man tried to get up. Kick after kick was delivered to the smaller man’s body.

“Why? You knew that I loved her and you killed her.”

Oswald covered his face with his hands hiding himself away as the taller man continued to kick him.

“Ed please…”

“Shut up,” he reached down grabbing the other man by his hair and dragging him painfully to his feet.

“You knew, this entire time you knew and you watched me cry and you watched me go through Hell. What did I ever do to you?”

This time instead of shoving him he punched Oswald in the face, he could feel his nose possibly breaking from the impact.

“I gave you everything, I have done everything humanly possible for you. I gave you a place to live when you needed it, I helped you get back into the game, and I helped you become mayor.”

Another hard hit to the face, another, and another until the smaller man collapsed onto the floor.

“You bastard, how dumb was I to think you ever thought of me as a friend? You never cared about me, you were using me…..You’re just like the others, you think I’m some slow little freak who can be used.”

Oswald curled up on his side, he coughed and cried. He wasn’t sure what else there was to do, he knew he wasn’t going to fight back or raise a hand to defend himself against the hits and kicks being delivered by his friend. He deserved every single second of this and knowing Ed, this would surely end with death, a death he deserved.

“I trusted you, don’t you get that? I trusted you and you did this to me, I thought you cared about me.”

He did, he cared so much that it was possibly going to kill him.

The smaller man dared to look up at his friend, he looked at the rage that took over his face. He watched as Ed reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a knife, he knew this was it and that was okay. 

“Before I kill you I want you to tell me why you killed Isabella.”

Oswald cried out in pain as he slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. Despite his fears he forced himself to look up into Ed’s eyes, he felt the tears and the blood running down his cheeks as his body shook. 

“I….I did it, because I’m in love with you Edward.”

With that he felt like he lost what barely existent dignity he might have had left, he buried his face in his hands and sobbed openly. He waited to be punched, he waited to feel the burn of a knife plunging into his chest, but it never came. He jumped when he heard metal clanging against the floor near him. 

When he felt hands grab onto his forearms he tried to pull away, he let out a strangled cry and shook his head in refusal.

“Oswald…”

The way that Ed spoke his name didn’t hold any rage or malice in it, it held a pitiful sadness. A sadness that Oswald did not deserve.

“Do it, go ahead and kill me.”

Ed removed Oswald’s hands from his face forcing the smaller man to look at him.

“I can’t kill you”

“Why not, I killed Isabella. I paid Gabe to cut her brake lines, she died because of me.”

The younger man placed a hand against Oswald’s bloody and swollen cheek, he flinched at Ed’s suddenly gentle touch.

“Kill me, please”

He didn’t understand this.

Ed got to his feet, he reached down grabbing the older man by his arm and started to pull him to his feet.

“Come on”

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“I’m taking you upstairs, I’m going to clean you up, and then put you to bed.”

Oswald stared up at him in shock, shock and confusion.

There was a look on Ed’s face that he couldn’t read, a look that concerned him. He knew that Ed wasn’t going to kill him, that was a simple and easily accepted fact as far as Oswald was concerned.

Another fact was that he wasn’t going to get an answer as to why Edward had changed his mind.

Getting back upstairs was difficult and severely painful. Ed lead him into the master bathroom where he sat him down on a chair while he filled the tub with warm water. Oswald remained silent, he would watch the taller man, but look away the moment that Ed looked in his direction. He mostly kept his eyes locked on the tiled floor.

Once the tub was filled Ed returned his attention to him, he knelt before him and started to work at undressing the smaller man. Oswald wanted to ask him why, wanted to tell him not to do any of this, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk. He remained quiet and compliant as Ed carefully removed his bloodied clothes. He allowed Ed to help him up from the chair and into the tub.

When the younger man began to so gently wash him he felt sick with guilt.

“Ed,” he found himself whispering his name.

He wanted to beg him to stop, he wanted to beg him to go back downstairs and retrieve his knife so he could finish this suffering. Oswald did not deserve to have Ed taking care of him, cleaning his wounds. 

Tears continued to fall from his eyes, his body shook, but nowhere near as badly as it had when he had confessed his love for his friend. His friend who just minutes ago had wanted his head on a plate, but now was cleaning him.

Ed brushed his thumb against Oswald’s cheek wiping away his tears, he turned his head to face the taller man. He looked up at him with questioning eyes, he couldn’t understand what any of this meant, and that terrified him. 

“Ed,”

Maybe if he said his name enough times it would turn out none of this past week happened, maybe saying Ed’s name could erase all his terrible mistakes.

“Shh I’m not going to hurt you anymore.” Ed whispered to him, he continued to caress his swollen cheek.

“Ed I’m….”

“I know”

“Why are you-“

“I don’t know” the younger man admitted laughing to himself.

The rest of the bath was spent in silence. Oswald groaned in pain when Ed carefully helped him out of the tub, he leaned most of his weight against the taller man’s side as he helped him into the connecting master bedroom.

Ed carefully sat him down on the bed then went back to the bathroom, in little time he was back with a glass of water and the pain pills that Oswald had been taking for the past four years of his life. Oswald took the pills chasing them down with the offered water, he sat the glass on the table beside the bed. 

The younger man stayed, he went to the wardrobe and retrieved a robe for Oswald to put on. He even helped him into it, he helped him under the covers of the bed. At this point he expected by all logic that Ed would leave, that this would be the end of everything. Ed would leave the mansion, he would resign from his job as chief of staff, and the two of them would never speak again.

That was what Oswald thought would happen, but Ed removed his own bloodied clothes carefully folding them and setting them on a chair near the bathroom door. He climbed into bed next to the black-haired man, he laid on his side facing him, and Oswald cautiously did the same. The two of them laid there facing one another, Ed placed a hand against his bruised cheek, Oswald carefully mirrored the action. When Ed smiled at him Oswald found himself softly crying again.

“I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry” 

Ed moved closer to him on the bed, he wrapped his arms around his small body holding him close against himself.

“I’m sorry”

He couldn’t say it enough times.

“I know little bird”

Oswald shivered when he felt lips press against the top of his head, he wanted so desperately to look up at him and maybe even kiss him, but he was still so ashamed. So instead he buried his face against Ed’s bare chest, he let his tears stain his pale skin all while his friend held him protectively in his arms.

“I love you Ed”

He didn’t expect love in return, he didn’t deserve it.

“I love you too”

Love wasn’t logical.


End file.
